Lost Dreams
by Dragonflight04
Summary: The world isn't as it should be. Gary is master, Ash has disapeared, and Misty is left to try and pick up the pieces of her broken life. And then it all changes. Can Misty accept the changes or will she get swept away by the changing tides?*complete*
1. A Cold Beginning

Disclaimer: No I don't own Pokemon. I never have, and probably never will. I wish I did though. Then again, I think all the fanfic writers wished they owned pokemon. But anyway, we don't. Hopefully you get the point by now. If not feel free to read this again, otherwise you can move on to the story.  
  
~*~  
  
Lost Dreams  
By: Pixi Powder  
Pixi_powder@yahoo.com  
  
~*~  
  
"Would you all just go away. I'm not in the mood to hear about it. Why don't you just learn to deal with your own problems instead of loading them on me!" A young woman of nearly 20 stood at the top of the staircase. Her once beautiful ocean blue eyes were now as cold as ice. She stood with her hands on her hips, a look of contempt on her face. Long, fire red hair flowed down her back, stopping abrubtly at her waist. Her curvy figure was acentuated by the tight blue jean flares and white tube top she wore. 

"We aren't, like, asking you to do everything. We just want you to, like, go to some stupid meeting." Daisy stared down her younger sister. 

Lily joined in the argument. "If you, like, go, you won't have to work the show." Lily knew how much Misty dispised working the show. Especially when she ended up working the tickets. 

"Yeah," Violet joined in, "you, like, go to the League meeting, and, like, we'll take care of the gym." The three sisters stared at Misty. They could no longer call her the runt. She had grown only a little taller but had matured greatly. At least physically she had. Unfortunately, her personality had changed greatly. She hated to help people, refused to get close to anybody, and if given the opportunity, she would spend as much time alone as possible. 

"Fine. Whatever. If it gets me out of the gym for that little escapade, I guess it's worth it." Misty turned on her heel and walked back to her room. She slipped through the partially open door and closed it behind her. _Why do I even bother?_ She lightly flipped the TV on as she made her way to the closet, nearly being buried alive as she tried to get her old backpack off its shelf. 

"...Wednesday should be sunny with a high around 80 degrees but Wednesday night we are expecting a mean storm front to be moving in from the West. Thursday you should expect heavy downpours, high winds, and severe lightning." Misty sat down unhappily on the bed. Why hadn't her sister's bugged her sooner, now she was going to have to travel in weather like that. _Maybe I should just tell them that they're on their own. Get myself out of this before they know what they'll be traveling through._ The anchor woman continued her speech, "And in recent news, the Pokemon League has called a meeting of all officials and gym leaders to discuss recent problems. While the Leauge has not yet released what those problems are, some have begun to speculate it has to do with the dissapearance of several young trainers. As information comes in we will keep you posted. And in local news..." Misty turned down the volume. 

"Like, Misty, you have a phone call." Daisy called up the stairs. "I think it's, like, the League." 

Misty rolled her eyes. Her sisters couldn't even handle a simple phone call from the League. "Fine, I've got it up here." She picked up the reciever in her room and waited till she heard the other line click off. "Hello?" 

"Yes, is this Mistara Waterflower?" The voice questioned politely. 

"Yeah, this is Misty." She hated that name, Mistara. "Can I help you?" 

"Please hold while we get Mr. Oak on the line." The voice was quickly replaced by music. Some drab melody that seemed to be trying to lull you to sleep. Elevator music. Yuck. _What did Gary want?_ The music clicked off and the line was silent for a moment. 

"Hello Misty." Gary's unmistakable voice called through the reciever. 

"What do you want?" Misty wasn't in the mood to play games, and she sure as hell didn't want to play them with Gary. 

"Tisk tisk. Shouldn't you be nicer to the Pokemon Master?" Gary's sarcastic tone was the last thing Misty wanted to deal with. 

"Your right. Let me rephrase that. What the hell do you want?" Contempt filled her voice and Misty didn't bother trying to hide it. 

"Surprisingly, that doesn't phase me. Maybe it's the fact that I know your just a cold-hearted bitch because your little loser left you." Gary threw it in her face. He made no attempt to be nice or make ammends. 

"Is there any point to your idiot behavior, or are you just trying to make yourself feel better." Misty knew what Gary was trying to do. He was trying to make her crack, make her try and defend Ash. Gary wanted to make her relive the past. But it wasn't going to happen. "You may be able to sit around on your royal ass all day, but the rest of us have lives. And if there isn't any point to this, besides proving what an idiot you can be, then I'm going." 

"Amazing. You don't even bother to defend him anymore. Have you finally realized that Ash left you. He probably packed up his stuff and ran off with another woman, though nobody would blame him, seeing what you were." 

"Fuck you." 

"Aw, such harsh words." Gary paused. 

"You want to play these games? That's fine by me. I already know I'll win." Misty let the her confidence show through. 

"And what makes you so sure that you could ever beat me?" Gary's ego was too big for him to ever understand the severity of Misty's words. 

"Because," she paused, glancing at the full length mirror on the door. A beautiful woman stared back at her with eyes that looked almost dead. "I've got nothing left to lose."  
  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Well, I hope you like the first chapter. I've left it as kinda of a cliff hanger, but I promise I'll write more later. Please leave me a review so I know what you think. 


	2. More Questions...

Disclaimer: I'm a millionaire. I own a ton of stuff and I'm in the process of buying Pokemon. I'm still waiting for them to call me back. After that I'm thinking of buying Microsoft. What? Don't believe me? Oh well, your right. I don't own any of it. I think I only have $4.00 anyway... wonder if they'd take that instead...  
  
~*~  
  
Lost Dreams  
By: Pixi Powder  
Pixi_powder@yahoo.com  
  
~*~  
  
A wall of rain made walking a challenge. Each step was a new problem. She shivered uncontrollably as the wind whipped her face. Her aqua colored rain coat had only worked for the first few hours. After that the winds changed and the rain began to beat her face, making it harder and harder to see and causing her to stumble and fall a few times. 

Misty took another step forward. Her foot caught a tree root and she fell forward into the mud. "Damn it." She mumbled loudly. _Why the hell does it have to rain this hard the one time I have to walk to a damn meeting. Damn League couldn't even help me get a ride. _Misty picked herself up off the ground. Her rain coat caught on something sticking out of the ground and ripped up the side. "What the hell did I do to deserve this?" she questioned nobody. 

The wind whistled in reply and beat the rain into her face. She turned her back to the rain and sat at the base of a tree, trying to look for some shelter. Quickly, Misty's eyes scanned the trees. A large maple tree stood just off the path. It's branches looked like they might be climbable. At least then, she might be able to escape the howling wind. _ Please let this work._

Misty tried to walk slowly to the tree, but the wind pushed her along, trying to shove her there even faster. She edged around the tree, using its mass to protect her from the wind. Carefully she reached her foot upward, trying to get a good grip. Her fingers slipped into the cracks of the bark and found some holding. She reached up towards the first branch. Water soaked the wood and made holding on less then pleasant. Fire red hair blew backwards in the incredible wind, whipping around and occasionally whipping back at Misty. 

After much work, Misty managed to make it up a few branches. The many leaves of the tree shielded her from the onslaught of torrential rain. After the first few feet, the climb became a little dryer and a little easier. After nearly 20 minutes of climbing, Misty made it to a wide branch about 15 feet off the ground. _Why didn't I make my sisters go? Make them deal with all this rain._ Misty grinned at the thought of her sisters trying to walk through the mud. _They'd probably die if they fell once. I'd never hear them stop complaining if they landing in a puddle of mud._

The soothing sound of the rain hitting the leaves and falling to the ground calmed Misty. The wind had died down slightly, finally making it possible for her to sit still without shivering. Every once in a while, the sound of a pidgey would escape the trees nearby. A heavy sigh escaped Misty as she leaned against the sturdy tree. The calming sounds eventually lulled Misty off to sleep. 

~*~ 

Snap. Misty's eyes shot open. She didn't move though. Crunch. Snap. Something was moving beneath her. _Why am I so jumpy? It's probably just a pokemon._ Misty tilted her head to try and see through the branches. A figure loomed under her. She shifted to try and get a better look. A twig snapped under Misty's grip. 

The figure turned around, allowing Misty to see his face. He couldn't have been older then 14 or 15. His short brown hair behaved erratically and seemed to go in every direction except down. He wore a pair of blue jeans and what once was a white t-shirt. Now his jeans, his shirt, his shoes, and his face were covered in mud. The most distinct thing about the boy was that, even from 15 feet up, Misty could see the look of pure terror in his eyes. 

The boy seemed to look in all directions as he took each step. He was nervous for a reason, Misty just couldn't figure out why. He froze. Everything was quiet for an instant. Not even the pokemon were making any noise. It's like they knew what was coming next. Suddenly a shot rang out from nearby. The boy took off running and Misty sat frozen. All the pokemon in the forest seemed to call out at once. The noise took Misty by surprise and she quickly reached to cover her ears. It took a full second before the thought managed to make its way to Misty's numb mind. _That was a gunshot. A real gunshot. And that boy was running from it. Something is way off._

Misty was about to get down from her spot in the tree, was going to go chase after the boy, find out what on earth was going on, when she heard something moving. Something near. Something that wasn't afraid. She froze. She strained every muscle to remain still, to keep from giving herself away. To keep who ever it was from finding her. She caught a glimpse of the figure. She only saw the figure's back though. 

A very calm voice broke the silence. It called to whoever was listening. "Come out come out where ever you are. I promise I won't hurt," the voice paused. After a moment of thought it quietly added, "As long as I'm on target that it." And with that, the figure raised a rifle and peered through the sight. Searching, searching for it's victim.  
  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Okay, first off I wanna thank the people who reviewed. Since this is my first fanfic on here, it was nice to get some positive feedback. Second, I did borrow the idea of the figure hunting the boy from a story I had to read in English class in 9th grade. I can't remember the name of it though. Anyway, feel free to review. I think I know where I'm going with the story, but I can always use some suggestions. If you have any questions, post them and I'll answer them next chapter... assuming the answers won't give away the plot line. 


	3. Sad Memories

Disclaimer: I was talking to one of my friends. She said that she had a couple dollars, a loose button, and the lint from her jeans. We're hoping that maybe we can combine our stuff and buy Pokemon jointly. Until they except, I still don't own it though. Tough luck for me. *Sigh*  
  
~*~  
  
Lost Dreams  
By: Pixi Powder  
Pixi_powder@yahoo.com  
  
~*~  
  
The sun was close to setting again. The pokemon in the forest were quieting down, though occasionally one would walk through the space under Misty. As quietly as she could, she stretched out her legs, trying to restore circulation to her toes. All day she had remained frozen in the tree. Barely moving, hardly breathing, and not bothering to eat anything. She just stayed focused on listening for the figure. Listening for her life. 

She had only heard the gun cry out once more. It sounded farther away, though Misty couldn't be sure, and opted to stay where she was. She never saw the small boy run through, never heard him cry out for help, never knew if he was even still alive. She never saw the figure walk through again, never saw a face, never even knew if he was still out there. Out there stalking his prey. 

Misty shivered. A cool breeze rustled through the leaves, making the branches sway and allowing Misty a chance to look past the cover of the tree. It looked like the trees ended eventually. But how far away could it be? She wasn't sure. _Maybe if I climb a little higher I can see how far away the next town is._ Her mind raced for a second, before coming upon a pessimistic thought. _If there is a next town._ Carefully Misty slung the backpack over her shoulder and reached upward for the nearest branch. 

Climbing was much easier when everything was dry. Making good progress, she was able to reach the canopy within only 25 minutes. _Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down._ She blinked and her gaze shifted down for only a second. That was all it took though. The ground seemed to be a million miles away, though it was only 60 feet or so. Misty grabbed quickly for the tree trunk, trying to give it a rather large bear hug. Her eyes were shut so tightly that the fading light couldn't penetrate her eyelids. 

"Damn it. This is the last time I ever do anything for my sisters. They're on their own from now on. I'm done. Never again. How did I get dragged into this. This is all crazy. I should just turn around and go," her quivering voice was rudely interrupted by a loud gunshot. It was close this time. Almost as close as last time. He was near. Very near. 

"Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit." Misty mumbled as she continued to bear hug the tree. She peered down and tried to catch a glimpse of where the figure was. Any idea would help. All she saw was branches and leaves. She could only see small spaces of ground, and there was nothing there. 

Slowly she shifted her gaze forward. Peering around the massive trunk, Misty's eyes quickly scanned for a town, or a house, or anything that might be helpful. She turned her head and gazed around the other side of the tree. A small town loomed ahead. It had to be at least a mile away, but at least it was a town. A deep sigh escaped Misty. 

"What the hell did I get myself into?" She slowly loosened her grip on the tree and proceeded to sit down. She straddled the branch and locked her legs beneath it. The last thing she wanted was to fall 60 feet into the arms of a guy with a rifle. 

_Why me? What the hell did I ever do to deserve this? I couldn't have been that horrible to anyone. _She paused to think about her words. _Couldn't be that horrible. But I was._  
  
~*~  
  
"Sure, whatever. Go. I know you have to." 

"Myst. I promise you I'll make this up. I promise you won't regret this. When I get back you and me can go anywhere. I'll tell the League that I'm under the weather. That I need a brake. Come on, look at me. You know I didn't plan it this way. You and me can go wherever you want and I'll make it all up to you. I just can't brake this. I have to go." 

"Yeah. I guess. I mean it's not like you got to pick the day or anything right? It's not like they asked you when to do it. They just told you that's when you had to be there. No choice. Right." Misty looked away unhappily. 

"Right, no choice." He looked away with uncertainty. 

"You didn't have any choice right? I mean you didn't actually pick that day?" Misty looked back at him with laser eyes. Not only did she see him, she saw through him. And through the lie. "You picked that day? YOU PICKED OUR ANNIVERSARY TO GO AWAY TO DO BUSINESS? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WERE YOU EVEN BOTHERING TO THINK!!!" 

"Misty, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it when they asked me. They just gave me a couple days to choose from and I picked that one. I wasn't paying attention to it. I swear I didn't mean to. Misty, look at me. Please. I'm sorry." He looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. He truly was sorry. But that didn't matter right now. 

"How could you not realize it? I mean hello? Is your brain even working? Fine. Whatever. I don't care. Go away on your little business trip. I'd hate to have your life interfere with the League." Misty turned around and stalked up the stairs. She was outraged and slammed the door to the study with all her might. Grabbing a random book off the shelf she situated herself on the oversized leather couch. 

An hour passed and finally the door opened. "I've got to get going. You know I'm sorry. I really am. I promise I'll make it up to you later. I love you Myst." 

Misty only scoffed in return. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to him. 

~*~ 

The phone jarred Misty out of her slumber. The video phone on the study desk was ringing noisily. Misty shook off her dream. It was something with a Dragonite chasing her. What a nightmare. 

Misty yawned as she glanced at the clock. It was going on midnight. _I must have dozed off. I can't believe I slept all day._ She hit the answer button expecting to see his picture. It was like him to call when he arrived. Though he should have arrived at least two or three hours ago. 

"Good evening Mistara." Lance's face appeared worried. "By any chance is Master." 

Misty cut him off. "No. He's not here. He left about six hours ago." Then the realization hit her. "You mean he hasn't arrived yet?" 

"No. We thought that maybe he had forgotten or was running late. He hasn't shown up and none of the towns he was supposed to stop in reported seeing him either." Lance tried to cover his fear in an official tone. 

"Are you sure? I mean are you sure he didn't just decide to take another route or something?" All anger left Misty as anxiety replaced it. 

"We haven't heard anything, but we're hoping it's just something like that. I'm sorry to make you worry. I'll keep you posted if we hear anything." 

"Okay. Thanks Lance." Misty hung up the phone. Her body collapsed into the chair behind her. A million thoughts crossed her mind, none of which were good. 

~*~ 

Tears rolled from the corners of Misty's eyes. Her world, her entire world, had just been shattered. The phone call came and she flipped on the TV. 

"This is a special news bulletin. We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this footage, just taken in the League conference room." 

Lance stepped up to the podium. He drew in a deep breath and the room grew deathly silent. "As you all know there has been an extensive search in all of Kanto and Johto to find the Pokemon Master. He disappeared en route to a meeting at Indigo Plateau. Many leads were collected, though none led to any information of help. It is with great sorrow that the League has come to this decision." He paused, taking a deep breath and preparing himself for the words that followed. "We regret to inform you that Pokemon Master Ash Ketchum has been declared officially dead."  
  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Wow, what a cliff hanger. Hehe, aren't I mean? In case you didn't know, the last few sections were a flashback Misty was having. And that wasn't their wedding anniversary, they never got that far. It was more of their anniversary since they became a couple. I figured I'd answer those question now, just so you knew. One of my friends told me to answer some of the questions, so I did. It's not my fault that I created a few more in the process. Anyway, you know the drill. Please review and if you have any questions leave them in your post. I'll try and answer them next chapter. Oh, and just so you don't think I abandoned the story, I'm letting you know that I'm going to be out of town and the next chapter probably won't be posted until sometime early August. I swear it's not that far away... 


	4. Revelations

Disclaimer: I own Pokemon. I own Pokemon. I own Pokemon. I own Pokemon. I own Pokemon. Hehe, I figure if I say it enough maybe everyone will believe me. Okay, maybe not. It was worth a try. 

~*~ 

Lost Dreams  
By: Pixi Powder  
Pixi_powder@yahoo.com 

~*~ 

Tears crawled down Misty's cheeks as the memories flooded into her mind. _I was so damn mean. The last time I saw him, and I was such a bitch. It wasn't his fault that he had to go to a meeting. _ Nearly half an hour had passed and the sun had since set. 

Not wanting to try to keep herself stable on a branch 60 feet up, Misty slowly climbed back down to the branch she had slept on last night. Every once in a while she heard a Hoothoot, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Misty almost thought everything had gone back to normal. Of course then she remembered the figure with the rifle and the little boy who had been running and she realized that things were far from normal. 

Closing her eyes, Misty tried to fall asleep, but with no avail. Each minute seemed to drag on. Every time she was on the brink of sleep, a noise would jolt her awake, faster then Pikachu's thundershock. Her mind wandered. She thought of Ash and what had happened. 

The League had been put on high alert and search teams were sent out looking everywhere. After a few months, nothing had been found. And then, one team in a forest near Lavender Town came across his backpack. It had been emptied of everything and all the footprints were long gone. The searching increased in the area, but it didn't do any good. Shock hit everyone, especially Misty. She couldn't understand what he was doing all the way over there. It was in the opposite direction of the Plateau. 

Then, the League gave up. They had looked everywhere. They had only found his backpack after months of searching. They had no other options. A new Master had to be initiated. All affairs had been handled by Lance during the search because of his vast knowledge from his years of being Master. But he wasn't the next Master, Gary was. 

Years ago, both Ash and Gary had beaten the Elite four. The two battled for the position of Master. After a raging battle, Ash was the victor. Gary had challenged Ash twice after that, but never managed to beat him. With the disappearance of Ash, Gary easily became Master. It had remained that way for over a year now. 

A rustle in the bushes made Misty open her eyes. A few of Ratata had passed beneath her and a couple of Hoothoot had landed above her. Everything seemed to be quieting down. But nothing emerged from the rustling bush. It just stayed still. Misty hadn't heard anything in hours, beside the calls of Pokemon. 

_Well, now's as good a time as any._ Slowly, she climbed down the branches, making her way to the forest floor. It was dismal and hard to see. The moon had disappeared behind some clouds and only a few stars could be seen. Misty inched her way towards the bush, trying to see what was hiding. She had no luck. 

Misty gathered all her strength. She took a deep breath, trying to convince herself that she was brave. She closed her eyes for a second and then managed to squeak out a single word. "Hello?" 

The bush seemed to shake for a second. But nothing replied. Misty gathered her strength and called out again, this time a little stronger. "Hello?" 

"Please don't hurt me." A tiny voice managed to say. Unhurriedly, a small boy emerged from the bush. His arms up, protecting his face, his vibrant green eyes peering towards Misty, unsure of whether to run or stay. 

Immediately Misty recognized him. He was the same boy who had run beneath her before. The one who was getting shot at. His blue jeans and shirt were covered in mud and ripped in a zillion places. His hair was now stuck to his face, plastered down by the mud. He looked at Misty with pure terror in his eyes. 

"It's all right. I promise I won't hurt you." Misty gave a quick smile to try and reassure both of them. "There's a town about a mile from here. We should go now while it's dark." With that she turned towards the town and started walking. After a few feet she glanced back and saw the boy still standing there, gazing at her with a confused look on his face. 

Misty walked back to him. Looking him right in the eyes, she managed to stay calm. "I don't know what's going on here, but I'd bet you do. And as much as I want to know everything, we need to get out of here while we still can. If we start walking now, we can be to the town in under an hour." Seeing the unsure look in his eyes, Misty added, "I promise it'll be okay if we can get to the town." 

The small boy nodded and quickly took his place next to Misty. Neither talked as they made their way silently through the thick trees. They avoided staying directly on the trail, for fear of running into the man with the rifle. It was slower going, but it kept the two out of harms way. 

Eventually, the silence got to Misty. "So what's your name?" She wanted to keep the conversation as light as possible. 

"Jason." He kept his eyes focused on the trees ahead. 

Misty nodded. "Nice to meet you Jason. I'm Misty." 

The boy stopped and looked up at her. "Misty?" 

Misty smiled, happy that he was able to talk. "Yep. Misty Waterflower of the Cerulean City Gym." 

The boy bit his lip. He was holding something back. Misty chose to ignore it. "So Jason, how old are you?" 

"I'm 12." He focused his vision back on the trees in front of them. 

"Ah. What were you doing out in the forest with weather the way it was?" Misty glimpsed ahead. The trees looked like they were thinning out. The town was near. She smiled and looked down at the boy. 

Jason's eyes wavered, his lip quivering. He was trying to stay calm, but it wasn't working. After a minute, Misty looked at him again. A couple tears stained his cheeks. 

"What's wrong?" Misty stopped and stared at him. 

Finally he broke down. He fell to his knees and began to cry. He started to choke out a few words. "I...I...I was just trying to make it to the next town...before the rain started." he sniffled and tried to talk again. "I was walking and it started raining really hard. I didn't have a rain coat or anything and I was too far to turn around and go back. So I kept walking." All the words that came out of his mouth seemed to flow together in one long sentence now. "And I saw the house and I just wanted to get out of the rain and I didn't know that I shouldn't go in cause the door was open and it was raining so hard and I didn't mean to see him and I'm really sorry!" He started crying again. 

Misty looked at him awe struck. What had happened? She knelt down next to him, trying to comfort him. "It's alright. Your okay. Everything will be okay. Now just go a little slower. What house? You didn't mean to see who?" 

Jason sniffled. "The house. I was walking through the forest and I lost the trail and I found a house. And the door was open so I went in." He stopped to cough. "And when I went in, I saw him. And then the guy with the gun came in the room and saw me staring and grabbed his gun and chased me out. And I didn't mean to do anything wrong. And he shot it at me. And I just kept running and then I hid in the bush and you found me." His breathing became labored. 

Misty shook her head. She was confused. "Calm down. It's alright. Just breathe for a minute. Now tell me, who did you see?" 

"The Master. The Pokemon Master" Jason quickly replied. 

Misty's mind whirled. "Gary? You saw Gary out..." 

"No." Jason interrupted her. "Not the new Master, the old one. Ash." 

~*~ 

A/N: Okay, now I know I said that the next chapter wouldn't be posted till August, but I got some inspiration and had to write (thanks Angie!). Anyway, I think I answered more questions then I made this chapter... I guess there's a first time for everything. This time I mean it though, the next chapter won't be up until August. Unless I stay online tonight and write more, but that's not the point. Well, please review and leave me some ideas. And visit my site (Angie's stories are on there... hehehe). 


	5. Twists to the Plot

Disclaimer: The offer my friend and I made fell through. Turns out they wanted at least $10.00, 3 matching buttons, and a stick of gum. Too steep for us. Oh well, I still don't own Pokemon.

p~*~

pA/N: I'm sorry it took longer to get this chapter out then it was supposed to. I was supposed to be able to get to a computer after the first week and a half, but we ended up staying up north for the full three weeks straight. And let me clarify something really quick. The man with the gun and Ash are two different people. This will be a little clearer in this chapter. Sorry about the misunderstanding. 

p~*~

pLost Dreams

brBy: Pixi Powder

brPixi_powder@yahoo.com

p~*~

pThe name rang out in Misty's ears. Ash. She sunk into the dirt floor of the forest. Her head seemed too heavy to hold up. Ice blue eyes stared in disbelief at the leaves beneath her.

p"You... you...you saw Ash? Are you sure? I mean are you sure it was really him?" A single tear escaped the corner of Misty's eye. She tilted her head up towards Jason.

p"Yeah. I'm sure. I mean, I think I'm sure. I mean...yeah. Listen I know I was only 10 when he disappeared, but I really want to me a Pokemon Master. So I read everything I could about all the previous Masters. I know what he looks like, I saw tons of pictures. The guys in the house. He had black hair that looked like it didn't want to cooperate, but it was kinda long and messed up. And, and...and his eyes. They were a hazel color, just like Ash's." Jason paused to think for a second.

p"But Jason," Misty paused, trying not to get her hopes up. "That could have been anyone. Ash isn't the only one with black hair and hazel eyes." She looked at Jason with sympathetic eyes.

pHe gazed back at her with complete certainty. "I know that. But how many of them would be tied to a chair? And, and how many of them would have a Pikachu with them?"

pThe name Pikachu seemed to hit Misty in the face. "You saw a Pikachu there too?"

pHe nodded his head quickly. "Yeah, it was in some container thing. It was sleeping when I walked in."

pHope began to cloud Misty's mind. "Do you really think it was Ash?"

pJason nodded his head again. "I know it was him."

pSomething in Jason's eyes made it hard not to believe him. He seemed to sure it was Ash. iHe doesn't doubt himself, so why should I?/i 

p"Okay." Misty smiled briefly. "Let's get to the town. We can tell Officer Jenny everything. Do you think you can remember how to get to the house?"

pJason looked at Misty hopefully, "I can try."

pMisty nodded and began to stand back up. "Come on. We better go before we get found."

pThe pair set off, continually getting closer and closer to the town. The trees thinned out allowing Misty to occasionally catch a glimpse of light from the town. They were close. It would only be a few minutes until she could talk to Officer Jenny and get this whole thing figured out.

pA smile crossed Misty's face. iI might actually get to see him. I have a chance to make it all right again./i Her thoughts absorbed her and she walked without really paying attention. It was Jason pulling her forward suddenly that yanked her out of her inward slumber.

p"Misty hurry. I heard a shot. I know I did. Misty. Misty let's go." Jason pled with his eyes. He was scared. So scared.

p"What?" Misty gathered her thoughts for the last few seconds and pieced them together quickly. "Okay. Come on. We'll try and out run him. Just go as fast as you can." She began to pump her legs, running fast.

p"Please don't leave me. I can't run that fast. Please don't leave me Misty." Tears began to slide out of the corners of Jason's eyes. Sticks scraped past his face, leaving trails of red blood in their wake.

p"Just run. I promise I won't leave you." Misty glanced behind her and saw the gap between her and Jason growing. iI can't do this./i She stopped. Jason nearly ran into her. "Come on. I'll carry you on my back. I can run faster then you."

pHe scrambled onto her back, holding on to her tightly. Tears ran down his cheeks and stained her shirt. He buried his face into her hair, trying to hide from the world. Misty ran. She was slower with Jason on her back, less maneuverable, but she was still running. Breaths came few and far between and Misty was running out of energy.

pSuddenly another shot rang out. It whizzed through the trees and planted itself securely in the tree next to Misty. 

p"Okay. Time to move a little faster. Let's go." Misty said more for her own motivation then for Jason.

pAnother shot rang out, sending a nearby tree limb into splinters. And then the tree line broke. Buildings rose in front of them. Misty ran for the Police Station. It was still dark outside, but somebody had to be in there.

pMisty ran towards the door, and to her luck, it opened with a whoosh. She ran towards the back of the station to the nearest Officer.

p"Can I help you?" A man sitting behind a desk managed to say between yawns.

pJason climbed off of Misty's back and slid towards the tiled floor. Misty bent over, trying to catch her breath. "Yea...yea...yeah. Let me...talk to... Officer Jenny." Seeing the suspicion in his eyes, she added, "It's important."

p"Alright, one minute." He walked calmly into the back and emerged a minute later with a half sleeping Officer Jenny.

pSeeing Misty, Officer Jenny woke up a bit more. "Hello Misty. The League sent up a notice that you hadn't arrived at the Plateau yet. Said that they were getting worried. Told us to keep an eye out for you. They were worried that the same thing had happened to you as..." She paused, regretting her words, "Ash."

p"He's alive." Misty smiled at Officer Jenny.

pConfusion filled Officer Jenny's face. "Wait. You mean that Ash is? How do you know? This is amazing."

pMisty took a deep breath. "I know. It's a long story and Jason here can tell it to you better then I can. It's his discovery after all." She glanced over at Jason, "You tell her everything you saw," looking back to Jenny she added, "I'm going to go call the League and tell them everything that's going on."

pJason motioned okay and began to tell Officer Jenny everything. Gathering her wits, Misty paced over to the video phone. She quickly dialed Gary's quarters. It was early and he would still be sleeping. She didn't mind waking him though. Him of all people she didn't mind waking. 

p"What is it?" Gary whimpered out, his eyes still closed.

p"He's alive." The only two words Misty needed to say to get Gary's attention.

pHis eyes shot open and stared directly at Misty. "What? Who's alive?"

p"Ash is alive. He's in the forest near where I am. Tell the rest of the League. Me, Officer Jenny and the boy who found him are going soon. I should be to the Plateau in a few days. Sorry I'm gonna miss the meeting. I'll call when I know more."

pGary continued to stare in disbelief. "What do you mean Ash is alive? He was pronounced dead over a year ago. Your just getting your hopes up."

pMisty smirked at Gary. "Guess you don't get to be Master anymore. Too bad for you." After one last glare from Gary, Misty hung up the video phone. She ran towards the bathrooms and changed into a clean pair of jeans, a tank top, a hoodie and a pair of hiking boots. She was going to find Ash. Her Ash.

p~*~

pA figure loomed on the video phone. He was covered in mud, scratches on his face. A rifle sat propped against the wall. he was trying to explain everything to his boss. "I know there's been a few kids that saw him, but I've always taken care of them," he glanced at his rifle. "I almost had this one. I really did, but he was hiding part of the time. I was tracking him, but the rain made it almost impossible to keep tracks for long. I thought I got him a few times, but he was small, a hard shot when he was moving. When I finally caught up to him, he was with some girl. She had long red hair, reminded me of that one gym leader, what's her name... Misty. She was carrying him and they got to the town. I shot at them a couple times, got the trees instead. I'll get them though. I'll go back out there and..."

pHe was cut off by his boss. "No. You aren't going to go look for them. It's too late. They're probably already looking. For as much as I'm paying you, I thought you could keep him hidden. I've been the only reason you haven't been found yet. They almost had you when they first started looking. If it weren't for me dumping his backpack in Lavender, you would have gotten caught then. I can't trust you to do anything right can I?" He took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "Alright. They're already on their way. I want you to knock out Ash. Use the sleep powder from the gloom I gave you. That should put him under for a while. I want you to load him up and take him to the cabin in Ilex. Stay there until you hear from me. I have to find a way to cover this up."

p"Fine. I'll leave in a couple minutes. What do you want me to do with the Pikachu?"

pHe thought for a minute. "Knock it out too, dump it in the woods as you leave. Maybe that will distract them for a little while. Give me enough time to figure out what to do."

p"Alright sir. I promise I won't get found this time. Team Rocket signing out."

p"Thank you." The phone line went dead.

p~*~

pA/N: You will be happy to know that I have the rest of the story worked out. At least the base. I still have to write it out, but it'll be done soon. And you don't have to worry about writer's block. I'm going to try to get it done by the time I go back to school, cause there's no telling how much time I'll actually get once we go back. So you have a finished date. It'll be done by August 25th (that's the day before I go back). As always, post some thoughts and maybe start giving me ideas for a new story. Thanks as always.


	6. More Questions Yet

Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon. No change since the last time I wrote. If they decided to be charitable, then I stand a chance of getting control, but until then, nope.

p~*~

pLost Dreams

brBy: Pixi Powder

brPixi_powder@yahoo.com

p~*~

p"I think it's up here. I'm not sure. All these trees look the same." Jason shook his head in frustration. 

p"It's alright, we'll find it. Don't worry." Misty smiled. Her mood had been cheerful ever since they had left. 

pOfficer Jenny had set up a few more search groups before they had left and then set off with Misty and Jason. She looked up from the map she was holding. "Um, I think I might know where your talking about Jason. You said that you were walking through some hills and you saw a house at the top of one of them." She looked towards him and he nodded his head. "Well, there are a few old cabins in some hills a little ways from here. That is our best bet right not." 

p"Well then what are we waiting for?" Misty said energetically. She took off walking in the direction Jenny had pointed. iNothing is going to stop me now. Nothing./i

pThe three walked through the forest for nearly an hour. Jenny said that they were near, maybe as close as 2 or 3 miles. The terrain had become more hilly and a couple of times, Jason said that he recognized a part of a trail or a nearby river. Finally they took a break. They were all getting tired and needed to rest their legs.

pA nearby tree had some apples growing on it and Jason walked over to pick a few. Misty wondered over to the river, wondering if she would ever get to see him or if Gary was right and she was just getting her hopes up.

p"Misty! Misty!" Jason's voice rang out among the quiet forest. "Come here quick!"

pMisty scrambled from the water's edge towards the yelling voice. She prepared herself to see the man with the gun. Instead, she saw Jason leaning over some bushes looking at something.

pShe slowed her pace as she approached the bush. "What? What's wrong?" By this time Jenny had ran over too.

pJason pulled back the bush, revealing a sleeping Pokemon. More important, a sleeping Pikachu. 

pMisty took a step back. She cocked her head to the said. "Pikachu aren't native to this forest." She drew in a quick breath as she realized what she had just said. Her face lit up immediately. "Jenny, quick, get an awakening potion out of my bag."

pJenny ran to the pile of bags and retrieved a small bottle out of Misty's backpack. She brought it over the Pokemon and handed it to Misty.

pTaking great care, Misty lifted the dozing Pokemon onto her lap. She gently opened it's mouth and poured the concoction into it's mouth. Almost immediately, it began to respond. Stretching it's paws, it quickly realized that it was in someone's arms.

p"Pi pika... Pikachu," it yelled out as it jumped onto it's feet, readying itself for an attack.

pMisty looked at the small yellow rodent with great hope. "Is that you Pikachu? It's me, Misty."

pThe Pikachu stayed standing perfectly still. It sniffed the air carefully. It looked again at Misty, and then Jenny and Jason who were watching intently from a few feet away.

pSuddenly, the rodent jumped into Misty's arms and began chattering loudly. "Pika pi. Pi pi pika pi. Pikachu pika pi."

pAstonished, Misty didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Your alive. And if your alive, then so is Ash." She smiled.

pThe name triggered something in Pikachu's mind. She jumped up and began to run.

pAlready knowing where Pikachu was going, Misty grabbed her bag from the ground and took off running. Jason and Jenny followed suit and ran after Misty and Pikachu.

pAfter following Pikachu for nearly 10 minutes, they reached a clearing. The clearing spanned a few hills and at the top of one sat an old cottage. 

pJason froze in terror. "That's it." Pikachu took off running to the top.

p~*~

pThe door swung lightly on it's hinges. Nobody was there. A small bed sat in one corner, a chair was knocked over, ropes still wound around the legs and back. Whoever had been here sure was in a hurry to leave. Not surprising. Pikachu ran over to a table. A videophone sat on top of it.

pMisty smiled as she realized what Pikachu was getting at. She walked over to it and turned it on. A black screen appeared and asked the number that the wanted dialed. 

pJenny stood, looking over Misty's shoulder. She was puzzled how on Earth this would help.

p"Maybe sister's do have a purpose. Who would have thought that their forgetfulness could actually help me one day." She quickly hit the redial button and a number briefly flashed on the screen. Misty only caught a glimpse of it but it looked familiar.

pAfter a few rings, the phone was answered. A man stood next to the phone, not bothering to look at it. He looked like he was getting ready for something. "I thought I told you to leave. They're probably getting close to you already. Don't tell me it took that long to knock out that stupid Pikachu."

pMisty froze, taking in a deep breath. She knew that wallpaper. In the background. She knew the wallpaper and she know the floor layout. She knew that man. After a moment of disbelief, she managed to choke out a name. "Gary."

p~*~

pA/N: Okay, I know that it's a really short chapter, but I think I only have like 2 chapters left. This and chapter 5 would have been posted a week ago, but I ended up never going home. In order to get these posted, I'm using the computers at the library. Scary. I haven't been in one of these in a while. Anyway, I'll prolly post the next chapter (maybe chapters depending on how much time I spend on the computer) when I get home, which is in less then 7 days. Unless I get the itch to post and I have to go to the library again. Oh, and I started another original story which I really like. I know it's not Pokemon, but it's going to be really cool so I want you all to go read it! I only have the prologue posted so far, but I have more written on paper. It'll be up soon... I hope. Anyway, review and send me ideas for new stories. If they tickle my fancy (yes, I know, I'm in a very strange mood right now) then I might just use them later. Later!!!


	7. Race Against Time

Disclaimer: I'd say something witty about not owning Pokemon right here, but I've got a headache, so I can't think of anything good. Maybe next time. But anyway. I don't own Pokemon. 

~*~ 

Lost Dreams   
By: Pixi Powder   
Pixi_powder@yahoo.com 

~*~ 

A face flashed onto the screen. A look of surprise was glaring through the videophone. 

"Misty," he said, not sure who was more surprised, him or her. He paused, trying to think up a coverup. But there was none. Nothing he could say. Officer Jenny and Jason had left to look around the house for clues before Gary had uttered a single word. 

"It was you. It makes so much sence now. You couldn't beat Ash. You wanted to be Master so bad you had him kidnapped. Taken away, knowing full well that with him gone, you'd become Master by the default. I feel like I should be in shock right now, knowing that you have been the cause of all my pain, and yet I'm not. I'm not surprised at all." Misty looked at Gary. She hated him, hated him with as much passion as she loved Ash. "I told you not to play games with me. Told you that you couldn't win. I never thought you'd stoop this low, even for you. And I'm going to make sure you pay. Make sure you hurt as much as I have. Make sure you have to deal with this for the rest of your life." 

Gary was frozen in the spot. He hadn't moved from the second Misty had started talking. Hadn't blinked, didn't even seem to breathe. Finally a smirk crossed his face. "You think I'll pay? You don't know everything that I control. Pokemon Master is just one title I've earned." 

"What? Is Kanto's most idiotic on the list of titles too?" Misty sneered at Gary. 

"No, I think they awarded that to you. Only you would think that you could save your little loser. I wouldn't bother. He's already on his way to his death. If you leave now, and don't stop to tell anyone about our little conversation, you might get there in time to see him before his brains get blown out of his forehead." He smirked at Misty. She shivered. 

"You won't kill him. You haven't yet. You won't do it." 

Gary interupted her. "I didn't kill him cause it was far more fun to watch him suffer. Now he's a liability. Let's just say he's on the last drive of his life." 

She shook her head. "You know you won't get away with this." A tear welled in the corner of Misty's eye. 

"Sure I will. Who are the police more likely to belive? A histerical ex-girlfriend looking for someone to blame for the death of her boyfriend on or a well known, well respected Pokemon Master who's been getting the brunt of Hurricane Misty for the last year? You'll look like you've gone off the deep end and I'll look like a victim." 

"What about the phone? The last call was from here to your personal quarters. How would you try and explain that?" Misty was throwing at Gary that she could muster. Misty was on the brim of crying in hysterics. 

"You mean the psycho who called asking for ransom on Ash?" An evil smile crossed over Gary's face. He had already thought of everything. He changed his expression to sadness and began his speech. "I... I got a phone call. It was early and the lights were still off. I... I fumbled with the phone but forgot to turn the moniter on. I heard some man with a scruffy voice demand ransom for Ash. I figured it was just some dumb prank and hung up on him. How was I to know that it was the truth." He stopped and looked Misty dead in the eyes. "I've already got it worked out. You've got no witnesses. It'll be your word against mine, and mine carries a little more weight. You know time is running out. Loser is getting closer and closer to his death. Sure you want to sit around and talk all day on the phone with little old me?" 

Horror crossed Misty's face. He was right. She had no witnesses. Jason had led Officer Jenny to where he had come from and was explaining everything to her outside. It wasn't like there was anyone who was too fluent in Pikachu... except Ash. "You aren't going to get away with this. I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain and I'm not giving up." She clicked off the videophone and sat for a second. _Everyone told me he was gone. Told me to move on. Told me that I should get on with my life and that Ash wasn't coming back. I'm not going to let them be right._

Pikachu jumped off the table and ran out the door, Misty right behind her. The small yellow Pokemon sniffed the ground lightly then took off running into the trees. Misty ran after her, yelling at Officer Jenny and Jason on her way. "Both of you run. We have to go. Now!" 

Officer Jenny and Jason looked towards the yell and saw red hair dissapear into the trees. Both took off running after her. They had to be at least a minute behind her, Jason's short legs making them fall farther behind Misty every second. After only a few minutes, Misty was on her own, only Pikachu was with her. 

"Don't stop Pikachu. Keep running. We have to make it there. We have to catch up. We have to stop him." 

"Pika," Pikachu called out in agreement. 

The pair ran. The panted heavily, but never stopped. They couldn't stop. For Ash's sake. Officer Jenny and Jason were far behind and MIsty had no intention of waiting for them. They would find the way eventually. All they had to do was follow the path of broken tree limbs where someone had been traveling. Someone before Misty. 

The trees stopped at once. A large river was directly in Misty's path. But nothing could stop Misty. Not now, not so close. She glanced upstream and then downstream. Nothing. No bridges, no boats, no nothing. Except for a fisher. Not to far down. He sat with his pole in the water, his toes dangling in the water. Misty took off runnig towards him. 

She gathered her energy, trying to make her words slow enough to be understood. "I see your a water trainer. If you have anything that could get us across this river we'd be eternally grateful." 

The young boy looked up. "Sure! Like I told the other guy, you can use my Lapras. He'll take you across in no time." 

He grabbed a pokeball from his belt. "Go. Lapras." A red light shot out of the ball and formed a small Lapras in the water. "Hey. Aren't you Misty? The gym leader?" 

She smiled. "Yes I am. And right now I'm grateful to you. An Officer Jenny and a boy about your age should reach the river soon. If you could tell them that I already crossed I would really appreciate it." She hopped onto the Pokemon. "By the way. What's your name?" 

He grinned. "I'm Andy. Andy Tiedell." 

Misty nodded. "I'll remember that." With that, the Lapras began to cross the river swiftly. In only a couple minutes they had reached the other side. Misty jupmed off the Pokemon, grabbed Pikachu and took off running again. 

Misty felt revived. A minute to catch her breath was all she needed. Trees had been replaced with grassy plains and the midday sun beat down on Misty furiously. Her and Pikachu ran, passing through a few towns. Every once in a while Pikachu would have to stop and catch the scent again. Misty looked around. She recognized the area as Johto. Somewhere near Azeala Town. 

Pikahu was growing tired. Her breathing became more labored and with every breath a tiny 'pi' would escape the tiny Pokemon. Misty noticed the poor rodent and picked her up carefully. She let the exuasted Pikachu rest on her shoulder. Trees loomed ahead. Missty ran faster. She knew Ash had to be there. _I'm coming Ash. I'm not loosing you again._

She was running on pure adrenaline now. She wanted to stop. To lay down. To pass out. She couldn't feel her legs anymore. They were numb. Or maybe it was her mind that was numb. Either way, she didn't feel the pain anymore. Everything became blurry and zoomed out of focus. She pushed on though. She couldn't stop. Not now, not yet. She was running for her life. Running for Ash's life. 

~*~ 

"Dammit. The Pikachu didn't buy us enough time. I thought I might be able to cover this up, but Misty won't give in that easy. You have to kill him." 

He sat up, looking into the videophone unsure of the words he had just heard. "You want me to kill Master Ash?" 

Anguish filled Gary. "He's not the Master, I am. And of course I want you to kill him. If anyone finds him alive, we're all dead." 

"But Gary," he stopped to correct himself. "Sir. If I kill him and someone finds out, I'll be in prison forever. Not even you could save me from that." 

Gary closed his eyes. He wasn't going to yell at him. That man sitting there was the only one who could save his future. "I promise you won't get caught. I want you to call the police station in Goldenrod and make a ransom notice for Ash's life. Don't turn the moniter on. Threaten to kill him and then hang up. Knock him out, shoot him from behind and leave for headquarters. I already have a story worked out so that nobody will know who shot him. We'll blame it on some rogue trainer who was once beaten by Ash and sought revenge. Not even Team Rocket can get blamed. You know what your orders are. And if you disobey them, you will end up just like Ash." He hung up the phone ubraptly. 

~*~ 

A/N: Cliffhanger!!! I think there's only one chapter left. I'll prolly write it tomarrow. So there you have it. I need some ideas for new stories so feel free to leave them in a post or e-mail them to me at Pixi_powder@yahoo.com. And by the way, thanks bunches for all the really great reviews. Always nice to know that my writing is enjoyed. 


	8. Pain like Never Before

Disclaimer: Alright, this is the eigth chapter. In the first seven I've told you that I don't own Pokemon. And as many stars as I may be wishing, it hasn't changed. I don't own Pokemon and could probably never afford it. 

Lost Dreams   
By: Pixi Powder   
Pixi_powder@yahoo.com 

~*~ 

Misty lay face down in the dirt. She could barely move. The longer she layed on the ground, the more feeling retured to her body. And the more she hurt. Pikachu lay a few feet in front of her, in as much pain as Misty. 

"Damn tree roots." Misty said hatefully. "I'm never going to make it there. I almost had him back and now I'm going to lose him all over again." Tears spilled out of Misty's eyes. Her body heaved as she tried to push herself to her knees. Her muscles seemed to be on fire. A headache was spreading from her temples and engulfing her mind. She could hardly think. 

"Pika..." 

Misty looked towards the injured Pokemon. Her small yellow form was against a tree truck. _What happened?_ She remembered Pikachu being on her shoulder. She had been running. Running fast, and then her foot caught the root. Caught it and she fell hard. And Pikachu... Pikachu had been thrown from her shoulder. Thrown into the tree. That had to be it. 

Misty whimpered softly as she managed to stumble to her feet. She managed to hobble over to the tree. "It's okay Pikachu. You'll be okay." Misty looked at the small yellow rodent with compassion in her eyes. Pikachu looked up at Misty and nodded sadly. 

She gently lifted the Pokemon from the ground and set her in the backpack. She rearranged a few objects, trying to make it as comfortable as possible. She bit her bottom lip. _None of this should be happening. None of it._

She picked up har backpack and started to walk along the trail that had been created by the man that had Ash. She walked, slowly regaining her balence, slowly regaining her strength. She traveled as quickly as she could. She didn't want to give up hope. She couldn't give up hope yet. 

Minutes passed that seemed like hours. Each step sent pain from the ball of her foot shooting up her leg, her back, and straight to her thoughts. _I have to concentrate on something else. Have to think about something else._ She began to hum. A song that she knew as a child. _What are the words to this damn song?_ She walked on. And as if just a mirage, a small cabin apeared before Misty. 

She grimiced, not sure what she would find inside. She approched the door slowly. Footsteps. she heard footsteps. Someone was still in there. And a voice. Someone was talking. But to who? She pressed her ear against the door, trying to hear. 

"Kill Ash. Kill Ash? Is he insane! I kill Ash and anyone finds out and I'll never live long enough to get out of jail. The kids were nothing. They could get blamed on someone being careless, or a wild Pokemon attack, or something. Kidnapping and killing the former Pokemon Master! That'll get me killed... if I'm lucky. But I have to listen to orders. I don't and, well, then I end up dead anyway. Great. Catch 22. Dead if I do, dead if I don't." 

_Ash is still alive. He hasn't killed him yet. There's still time._ MIsty gathered her breath, her courage and the last bit of strength she had. Her hand seemed to raise itself and grasp the door handle by itself. She couldn't control it. But that was what she wanted right? She needed to go in. Needed to stop this now while she still could. 

She turned the handle slowly and began to push it open. Her eyes were drawn to the small opening between the door and the house. She peered inside and saw a figure holding a rifle. Holding it against Ash's limb head. Misty reacted out of pure instinct. She threw the door open. 

"No!" She yelled at the figure. 

He turned quickly and fired the gun at the doorway. Seering pain ripped through Misty's arm and she fell to her knees in pain. It was like nothing she had ever known. So painful. So damn painful. She looked at her arm. Looked for the pain. She saw a small hole in her hoodie. Red seemed to dye the already dark fabric. She looked at it not realizing what had happened. She leaned forward, almost seeming to collapse on the floor. 

The man with the rifle looked at Misty with wide eyes. "Shit. Now Gary's really going to have my head." 

Misty could hardly move, could hardly think through the pain. She gripped her arm trying to stop it, but it wouldn't go away. Nobody saw the tiny Pokemon that was slowly crawling out of the backpack. 

"Pika..." The yellow Pokemon was confused. She peered around the room and saw Misty laying on the floor, holding her arm. She saw Ash propped up in a chair. Saw a man with a rifle. Staring in disbelief at the whole scene. Pikachu recognized that man. Knew what she had to do. 

Misty looked up just in time to see Pikachu let loose a powerful thundershock. The lightning bolt charged towards the man and he only realized what it was when it was too late. 

He fell to the ground. Unconcious. Maybe even on the brink of death. Pikachu fell to the ground too. She had no energy left. She was close to unconcious. She let out one last 'pika' before falling victim to sleep. Misty too was tired. So tired. Just a little bit of sleep couldn't hurt. Her eyelids were so heavy. Sleep would be fine. Just for a little bit. 

~*~ 

Officer Jenny approached the house. The door was slghtly ajar and light was streaming out. It was growing darker. The sun had already dissapeared behind the trees. She had left Jason at the last town they had gone through. At the police station while she had managed to get a small team together to come with her. There were only 5 of them. But that was more then before. 

She crept up towards the door, but came to a sudden halt when she saw something sticking out the doorway. She called out to the figure. But nothing answered. The entire house was quiet. Her stomach lurched as she realized who was in the doorway. She knew it was Misty. And that nothing good was likely to follow this. 

She took a deep breath and began to inch her way closer. Her gun drawn and pointed in front of her. She peered through the open door and was horrifed at what she saw. Ash, sitting limply in his chair, unmoving. A man laying on the floor, covered in burns. Pikachu laying on the floor as well. And Misty. Half in the doorway with a small puddle of blood around her. 

Officer Jenny drew in a quick breath. She bent down and felt for Misty's pulse. She was still for a moment and then felt it. Yes, there it was. Weak, but still there. She moved from person to person and managed to find pulses on everyone. All were weak, but still there. A relieved smile crossed her face. 

"Goldenrod Police Station. This is Officer Jenny of Viridian City. I'm requesting back-up in Ilex forest. We are at a small cabin in the forest and have 2 injured civilians, 1 injured Pokemon and an injured Pokemon Master." 

~*~ 

A/N: Woo-hoo! I'm almost done. I still want to write an epilogue just to finish up a few loose ends. But that about it. I might write it tonight, or tomarrow. Other then that, I'm done with this one. Unless I do a sequel, but I'm not to sure about that. Anyway, leave me your thoughts and ideas in a post. Thanks bunches. (P.S. Where or where has tmp gone? I miss his reviews!) 


	9. Epilouge

Disclaimer: By now you get the picture. So let's see if you can fill in the blank. I ____ own Pokemon. I made an offer, and I still ____ own Pokemon. Isn't that special. Now did you guess that the word that goes in the blank is "don't". I hope so. Now I hope you liked my little fill in the blank game. So here's the story. 

~*~ A/N: Alright. Quick little author note. Leave it to me being in a rush to get the last chapter out. I never even thought about the tiny fact that Misty wouldn't have been able to get Pikachu in a Pokeball since technically Pikachu belongs to Ash not her. So I changed a couple small parts so it's not a error anymore. Feel free to go check and see what I changed. If you didn't read the old one or don't feel like re-reading the new one, it's no big deal. You aren't missing anything big. Just a few sentence changes. Anyway, on with the epilouge. 

Lost Dreams   
By: Pixi Powder   
PixiPowder86@aol.com (if you didn't notice... I got a new e-mail address) 

~*~ 

Misty's eyes fluttered open. Everything was glowing white. _Oh no. Bright white light. Oh no. I can't be dead. This isn't right. Someone's got to be joking. _ She slowly became aware of what was around her. She turned her head slightly. It ached. A beeping machine filled Misty's eardrums. _I'm alive? I'm alive. I'm not dead. No bright white lights. Not dead._

Her mind whirled. She strained to remember anything she could. Anything at all. And then a soft voice interupted her. 

"Misty? Like, Misty. Are you awake?" A face hovered over her. The soft whisper continued, "Misty. You've got to, like, wake up. Come on." 

Misty blinked. She scrunched her face up, trying to think a solid thought. The voice above her seemed to move. Seemed to get farther away. She heard the voice say something quickly and then many sets of footsteps come towards her. 

She felt her eyelids being held open. A bright pinpoint of light shot into her eyes. She struggled to blink again. Who was holding some light in her eyes? And why wasn't he letting go of her eyelids? She managed to turn her head slightly. She felt the hand retract and a murmer of voices start again. 

"... I can't belive she..." 

"... heard she lost a lot of..." 

"... in the arm I heard..." 

"... been in a coma for nearly..." 

"... never thought she'd..." 

"... about the Master?" 

The last few words seemed to mean something. She just couldn't remember what. She closed her eyes and tried to remember why that was so important to her. Those words. The Master. She thought. Her mind ached and she could barely hold a thought for more then a minute, but she thought. First were small things. Running through trees. A Pikachu. Blood. Bright light. Sleep. Her head hurt more. She whimpered quietly. 

So much pain. Why couldn't she remember. Why wasn't anything sticking? She thought about the words. The Master. The Pokemon Master. 

It hit her hard. Ash. Everything flooded into her mind. Jason, the shots, Gary, the house, Ash. She closed her eyes hard, trying to forget. Trying to get it all out of her head. She couldn't think. Could hardly breathe. She heard the beeps of the machine grow more wild. With the flood gates open, everything swarmed into her mind at once. She cried softly. Voices grew louder. They were yelling. Why were they yelling? Couldn't they just be quiet. Her head hurt so bad. So bad. And everything went black. 

~*~ 

She held her eyes closed tight. The thoughts swarmed through her head. She heard soft sobs in the background. They had been there for hours now. Still sobbing softly. It was her sisters. They would come in and visit. Leave for a little while, but be back soon. She had kept her eyes closed. It had been like this for an hour. Misty could remember everything. She remember everything that had happened. Remembered what Gary had done. 

Slowly, cautiosly, she opened an eye. The light was bright, but she could see through it. She saw three blurry figures by the door. Sobbing. Still. She recognized them as her sisters. Misty fought to raise a hand. To make some noise. To let them know that she was fine. She managed to bring her hand up a couple inches. If fell at her side with a thump. 

The room went quiet. MIsty raised her hand a couple inches and dropped it again. "Misty?" one of the figures managed to choke out. The figures moved towards her. 

Misty tried to speak. She managed to produce a small moan. It was tiny, but the figures seemed to be in shock. One ran to the bedside, and two ran out the door. Seconds a doctor walked into the room and began to talk to the figures. 

"She's come around again. She's had stable vitals for a while now and we think that she'll be fine. With any luck you'll be able to talk to her again in a few hours, maybe less if she feels better. 

~*~ 

"Is Pikachu alright?" Misty looked at her sisters with concern. Misty had been awake for a few hours. She had lost so much blood. When they found her, the doctors weren't even sure she'd live. Her brain had started to be deprived of blood, she went into a coma. Nearly a week she was out. And then she woke up. Woke up and had a panic attack, or at least that was the theory. And had passed back out. Here it was, two days later and she finally seemed to be okay. 

Daisy nodded. "She's, like, still in the Pokemon Center, but like, Nurse Joy says she'll be like fine soon." 

Misty smiled. They had caught Gary trying to flee the Plateau. Found him leaving with some high level Team Rocket members. He had almost made it out fine, but the gym leaders kept trying to usher him into the meeting. He never had a chance to leave. The man with the rifle had been caught too. He had been so badly burned that it was hard to even recognize him. But Misty had. She realized it when the police started to ask her what they knew of him. Wanted to know what connection she had had with Tracey in the past. 

She told them everything. Told them what she knew. Told them that she could hardly believe it was him who had done all this. It seemed so wrong. So impossible. But it was him. He had blamed Ash for his failure as a pokemon observer. He had worked with Professor Oak but when things started to turn up missing, Professor Oak let Tracey go. The police told Misty that he had been black listed and had eventually ended up working for Team Rocket to pay bills and make a living. He was picked for the job since he already knew Ash. 

Misty had put off asking about Ash. She was afraid. Afraid to know what might have happen. She bit her lip. She wanted to know if everything was okay. If everything would be okay. She was just afraid that it wouldn't be. That none of it would be okay. She looked towards her sisters for the zillionth time in a few minutes. 

"Like, Misty, if you want to know, just ask." Violet smiled. 

Misty took a deep breath. "So you mean...? I mean is he...?" She bit her lip again, trying to get the words right. She looked at them hoefully. "So Ash is...?" 

"I'm fine," a voice from the doorway answered. A man stood there with messy black hair and hazel eyes that seemed to stare into the soul. A look filled with emotion was on his face. He stared at Misty, a smile slowly creeping up his face. He tilted his head a little to the side, giving him the same lopsided grin MIsty had fallen in love with. "What? Still not talking to me?" He gave a small laugh. 

Tears crept into the corners of MIstys' eyes. She shook her head, trying ot make sure she wasn't dreaming. Wanting to make sure that it was all okay. That everything was the way it should be. The picture didn't disapear from in front of her. He stayed right where he was. Leaning against the doorway. 

He walked over to the bed and MIsty's sisters all stood up and left the room, giving the two their privacy. Misty nearly threw herself towards Ash, holding him in an embrace that he couldn't escape from, not that he wanted to. 

"I'm so sorry Ash. I never meant to be so mean. I didn't mean for any of this..." His lips met hers and Misty's words were interupted. She drew in a deep breath and kissed him back. For the first time in years, she was truely happy again. 

~*~ 

A/N: Okay. That's it. It's all done. Completed. Finished. Sorry it took a little longer to get out this last part then it was supposed to. I didn't get a chance to write on it till now. Anyway. I hope that everyone enjoyed it. I prolly won't start another fic for a little while (like until I get this stupid homework thing in check). I have 2 original fics going right now. If I get some inspiration and some free time, I'm considering writing a sequal to this. But I'm still debating cause I know the original is always the best and I've seen so many fics be great the first one and then just be a re-hash of themselves in the sequal and just plain suck. Guess is all depends on the feedback I get from you. Anyway, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. And please feel free to review the story as a whole (tell me if it actually flowed good, and if it all made sence). Until I write again. 

~*~ Pixi Powder 


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